‘A Conspiracy Is Being Hatched…..’: Karnataka DY CM DK Shivakumar On Dharmasthala Mass Burial Case

In a significant development in the Dharmasthala mass burial case, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on 14th August, 2025, Thursday alleged that the Dharmasthala mass burial claims were part of a conspiracy aimed at damaging the centuries-old legacy of the temple town. The Karnataka DY CM said, “A conspiracy is being hatched, I don’t want to say right now who is behind it. It’s a well-planned strategy to put a black mark on them.” Mr Shivakumar also said that he don’t want to get into who is doing what. However, he said that there is a conspiracy to tarnish a legacy spanning hundreds of years. As quoted by the news agency PTI, the Karnataka Dy Cm added that the controversy started from a single complaint by an unknown person. 

What is the Dharmasthala mass burial case?

According to the allegations of a former sanitation worker, he was forced to cremate the bodies of several women and minors between 1998 and 2014. The former sanitation worker has claimed that many of these bodies showed clear signs of sexual assault. An India Today report said that the sanitation worker filed a complaint on July 3 and sought anonymity citing threats to his life. The man also said that he has witnessed some of the killings and was forced to bury or burn the bodies under the death threat. 

Which IPS officer resigned from the Special Investigation Team probing the Dharmasthala mass burial case?

IPS officer Soumyalatha, who was part of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe the alleged mass burials and sexual assaults in Karnataka’s Dharmasthala, had resigned from the team. The Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara had confirmed this development. According to an ANI report, the home minister had a conversation with the reporters on July 24 and said that he was not officially informed about it. However, unofficially, the home minister said that he has have come to know that she has written a letter about stepping down from the team.

Also read: Dharmasthala Mass Burial Case: IPS Officer Soumyalatha Steps Down From The SIT Team